The Australian Dental Association (ADA) is urging Australians to smarten up and protect all 32 of their teeth and their jaw by wearing a custom fitted mouthguard when participating in sport.
The ADA has launched a mouthguard awareness campaign to help prevent some of the painful and costly dental injuries that happen each year as a result of people not wearing properly fitted mouthguards while participating in contact sports.
Targeting children and adults who take part in sports and activities where there is a risk of a knock to the head or face, the campaign will include information on how wearing a mouthguard can help prevent injuries, how to select a mouthguard for optimal protection and first aid in the case of an injury to a tooth.
An Australian Bureau of Statistics report claims that Australian children, aged between 5 and 14 years, who reported being injured, were most commonly participating in sport or games at the time of injury .
Dentists know that many painful and costly injuries to teeth could be avoided, or the severity of injuries minimised, by wearing a custom fitted mouthguard. The ADA says that damaging a permanent tooth, or having it knocked out, results in a lifetime of dental care.
ADA President, Dr Neil Hewson says such treatment can lead to costs in the thousands of dollars.
“Be smart on the sports field by wearing a custom fitted mouthguard. The investment in a properly fitted mouthguard, made to suit an individual’s mouth, is a smart choice when you look at the cost associated with repairing damaged teeth,” says Dr Hewson.
“A custom fitted mouthguard should be worn while training as well as participating in competitive matches and games as injuries can happen at any time.”
Mouthguard facts:
• In the state of Victoria, at least 2000 dental injuries were treated in emergency departments over two years, with people under 25 at most risk
• Review of data from the Victorian Injury Surveillance & Applied Research System shows that injuries sustained to the head during participation in sports and recreation activities make up a significant proportion of hospital admissions
• Sports Medicine Australia, South Australian Branch, in its Injury Surveillance of South Australian Sporting Participants, reports that apart from hockey, the wearing of a mouthguard is generally low in sports in which a risk of injury to the mouth was regarded as high
• Custom fitted mouthguards provide the best protection to teeth as opposed to boil and bite or over the counter, ready to wear mouthguards
• Research shows that wearing a mouthguard significantly decreases the risk of dental trauma
“The ADA strongly recommends that everyone wear appropriate protective gear while playing sport. Mouthguards should be mandatory in any sport where the mouth or face could be injured,” says Dr Hewson.
For more information and fact sheets on mouthguards and protecting teeth, visit: www.mouthguardawareness.info
